High dropouts, teacher crunch and fund gaps cripple Samagra Shiksha in West Bengal: CAG report
The audit highlighted a massive 28 to 42% transition loss between upper primary and higher secondary levels
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has reported significant issues plaguing the implementation of the Samagra Shiksha scheme in West Bengal. The audit, conducted over the period 2019-20 to 2023-24, revealed a high dropout rate, primarily due to financial constraints, early marriage, and intentions of early earnings among students.
The report noted that 53% of surveyed parents cited financial distress as the main reason for pulling their children out of school. Furthermore, 8% of schools in the state were operating with only a single teacher, impacting the education of over 1.76 lakh students. The audit also highlighted severe administrative imbalances, with many head teachers posted in schools with fewer than 150 students, violating Right to Education (RTE) deployment norms.
Additionally, the scheme fund utilisation in the state ranged between 46 to 65%, with delays in fund release by both central and state governments exacerbating the situation.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
